The best in the world of professional golf battled it out at the infamous Oakmont Country Club over the weekend as the U.S. Open returned to that course for the first time since 2007. The venue once again took its toll as there were only four golfers that managed to break par including this year’s winner, who faced an unprecedented amount of pressure down the stretch based in part due to the looming potential for a penalty that could have cost him the tournament. Meanwhile, an exciting season on the women’s side continued with the Meijer LPGA Classic where Lydia Ko was looking to rediscover her form in a loaded field that featured a pair of rising stars in Brooke Henderson and rookie sensation Ariya Jutanugarn. Here is a recap of the events from around the world of golf fantasy this past weekend.
U.S. Open
PGA Tour
On the men’s side of things, a lot of golf fantasy enthusiasts were surprised by the result. Dustin Johnson secured his first major title with a win at the U.S. Open on Sunday. The 31-year-old held his own under not just the pressure of the course and competition, but the pressure of a potential looming penalty that at one point seemed like it could have cost him the victory. Johnson played the final two hours of the tournament with an understanding that he could be penalized a stroke based on a review of whether or not he illegally made contact with the ball at an earlier hole. There was plenty of support for Johnson when the notice came out that the U.S.G.A would review a potential penalty with Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy among those that took to social media to speak to the ridiculousness of what could happen. Ultimately, Johnson wasn’t penalized and he went on to win by three strokes ahead of Jim Furyk, Shane Lowry and Scott Piercy. This was a big win for Johnson as he had previously fallen short on the last day of Majors. Now he’s got the signature win and will be trusted more in future tournaments in terms of golf fantasy.
Looking back now it might appear that the potential for a penalty wouldn’t have mattered anyways but it certainly provided even more pressure for Johnson to deal with as he attempted to wrap things up. Lowry had a four-shot lead at one point but Oakmont took its toll on him over the final stretch as he tied for a runner-up spot as one of four golfers that broke par over the weekend. Meanwhile, McIlroy failed to make the cut, Spieth finished tied for 37th and Jason Day finished tied for eighth at plus-two.
Top 10 Scores From The U.S. Open
Dustin Johnson -4
Jim Furyk -1
Scott Piercy -1
Shane Lowry -1
Sergio Garcia E
Branden Grace E
Kevin Na +1
Jason Dufner +2
Zach Johnson +2
Jason Day +2
Meijer LPGA Classic
LPGA Tour
We saw quite the surprise on the LPGA side of things in terms of golf fantasy. Sei Young Kim held on in a playoff to win the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her second victory of the season. Kim beat Carlota Ciganda with a birdie on the first hole of the playoff. She held her arms in the air knowing that she had done it again as she had improved to 3-0 in the playoffs with her fifth career victory. The big surprise was that none of the big three really made a big splash. World No. 1 Lydia Ko finished tied for fourth with the defending tournament champion Lexi Thompson at 14-under, one stroke back of In Gee Chun who finished 15-under. Other notables included rookie sensation Ariya Jutanugarn finished 18th and seven-under while last week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner Brooke Henderson placed 21st. The trio of Henderson, Ko and Jutanugarn have been dominating the ladies circuit of late, so many have been using them as primary plays in golf fantasy or for betting. None really delivered, although Ko’s effort wasn’t bad. Henderson and Jutanugarn fell way short of expectations at the Meijer LPGA Classic this weekend.
Top 10 Scores From The Meijer LPGA Classic
Sei Young Kim -17
Carlota Ciganda -17
In Gee Chun -15
Ludia Ko -14
Lexi Thompson -14
So Yeon Ryu -13
Shanshan Feng -12
Azahara Munoz -11
P.K. Kongkraphan -10
